The absence of a proper regulatory framework for healthcare facilities in Nigeria is driving the proliferation of quackery, worsening the country’s brain drain, and eroding public trust in the healthcare system, according to Dr. Richardson Ajayi, Chairman of the Steering Committee for the proposed National Health Facility Regulation Agency (NHFRA).
Dr. Ajayi, a physician, expressed grave concern over the lack of oversight in Nigerian hospitals and clinics, stating that the absence of regulatory standards has put millions of Nigerians at risk. He argued that while healthcare professionals such as doctors are regulated by bodies like the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, there is currently no central authority overseeing the operation and safety of healthcare facilities themselves.
Speaking exclusively to PUNCH Healthwise, Ajayi described the gap in regulation as one of the most critical oversights in the country’s health system. He highlighted the stark contrast between banking, where the Central Bank regulates institutions, and healthcare, where hospitals can be opened without meeting even basic safety requirements.
“In banking, the Central Bank regulates institutions, not just individuals. But in healthcare, while we have strong regulations for medical professionals, there is no agency that ensures hospitals meet minimum standards before opening to the public,” Ajayi explained.
“You can open a hospital without proper corridors, without a lift that can carry a patient’s bed, without a functioning blood bank, and no one will question it. This is a major safety issue.”
Ajayi pointed out that although the Nigerian Health Act assigns oversight of healthcare facilities to state ministries of health, many of these ministries are overstretched and lack the capacity to enforce standards, especially in private facilities.
He emphasized that only Lagos and Yobe States have set up dedicated agencies to oversee healthcare facilities, while the pace of implementation in other states has been slow due to the lack of central guidance.
“It’s a big ask for state ministries to manage infrastructure and workforce and, at the same time, regulate both public and private facilities effectively. It’s simply not working in many places,” Ajayi remarked.
The steering committee, which is working on the establishment of the NHFRA, has already submitted a detailed report to the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako. The report aims to move the proposal to the legislative stage for the creation of the agency.
Ajayi clarified that the NHFRA would not regulate medical professionals but would focus solely on ensuring that health facilities meet minimum standards for infrastructure, equipment, and patient safety. He expressed optimism that once established, the NHFRA would help curb the rise of quackery and improve public confidence in the country’s healthcare system.
“We are seeing increasing levels of quackery, and our best doctors are leaving. People don’t trust the hospitals here, so they travel abroad. These are symptoms of a healthcare system with no regulatory spine,” he said.
Ajayi further emphasized that the NHFRA would serve as a consultative body, helping to create national standards for healthcare facilities that states can implement without the burden of creating frameworks from scratch. He drew parallels to other sectors, such as banking, telecommunications, and insurance, which have undergone significant transformation due to strong regulatory bodies.
“The healthcare sector can be transformed in the same way if we have a regulatory body to enforce standards for health facilities. Right now, we’re operating in a vacuum, and Nigerians are suffering for it,” Ajayi concluded.
The establishment of the NHFRA, according to Ajayi, is crucial for safeguarding the health and wellbeing of Nigerians and for restoring trust in the country’s healthcare system.
